Thrown under the bus at work

[Ceci03]

So am I being over sensitive. I'll try to make it short. Started new job end Jan. It's been hard learning new software and processes mostly left to my own devices. Little to zero training. Expected to pick things up from others on the team when they are v busy.

Anyway am on leave today but forgot to turn off my teams notifications. A colleague put up a very long message basically explaining to everyone (everyone is on this chat even people not in our team and all the managers) that I made a mistake. She adds a screenshot where I said I would do something but forgot . She explains how she is sorting it out. Which would take her a couple of minutes. It would
Have taken her longer to write out the essay/message on teams than fix it for today and message me privately so I can finish sorting it or talk to me on Tuesday.
I'm so upset. And obviously morto . I made a mistake and I'm sorry of course and I want to fix it. It's not a major thing it's easily sorted I'll just do it first thing on Tues and apologize.
Nobody has commented or replied to her message which makes me wonder are they a bit wtf has she written all
That out on teams. I'm hoping the rest of the team know me enough to know I try v hard and want to do a good job.
I thought this person was a friend. I would never do that. Put it so public and screenshot it .
Aibu

I'm a Director and I would think worse of her in this situation than you.

I'd go as far as to say I would be contacting this persons line manager and asking them to have a discussion with them regarding their professionalism.

It speaks volumes about her.

If I was the line manager I'd be rolling my eyes so far back in my head at what a dipshit she was - and it speaks volumes that not a single reply has happened - so you should do likewise - no reply.

If it's mentioned when you are next at work then simply shrug and say you were off work but can fix it right away. Then when you get told it was done go "oh, ok I'll remember for next time" and don't say please or thank you.

FWIW, I worked with someone who did this all the time (Her name doesn't begin with N does it??)- she was in the job a few months before me and I think she felt threatened because my qualifications and experience were more suited for our particular role than hers - not that it mattered.

I responded by being cheerful and friendly to everyone in the office, happily going about my work (I normally am like this but I refused to let her or her horrible supervisor think that their bullying and nastiness was even registering with me!) She used to seethe at her desk, and would end up throwing tantrums at fuck all, which was secretly hilarious. She was fired shortly after and the bitch supervisor who egged her on also got laid off a few years after that when her own incompetence became known. I'm still here, have had several pay rises and report directly to the very nice MD.

Everyone new fucks up. I fucked up MASSIVELY costing the company several thousands of pounds months into my job but it's how you own your mistake that matters: Flag it with your line manager, take responsibility without trying to pin blame on someone else, ask for guidance on how best to remedy and lastly remember to never make that mistake again.

Learn one lesson, make sure you don’t look at your work messages when you’re off.

It won’t seem as bad on Tuesday and it wouldn’t have if you’d been at work. Things are always more stressful on a day off.

She sounds like a twat who is trying to get one over you. But you haven’t been shoved under bus, that’s a massive exaggeration you are hardly going to get sacked or end up in jail or anything like that.

Must admit I’d be tempted to reply,

“Thanks for letting me/everyone know. I’m on leave today but I’ll see you next Tuesday” (i.e. cunt) 😂

Noooo... don't send a petty message back, it will only demean you. Either write a professional one (as suggested by others earlier in the chat) or just go for dignified silence and let your work and conduct speak for themselves.

Ignore - if she's after a reaction, don't give her one, just make her look like a FOOL.

Someone did something mildly similar to me (though not as bad!). When I mentioned it to others the feedback was unanimously that she’d made a fool of herself. Ignore.

@Maraudingmarauders agree with your message. OP, do respond so that she doesn't pick on you again

I would jump on Teams and type "I apologize, it slipped my mind. Luckily I also forgot to turn off Teams wile I was off today so I am clear on the mistake I made".

i'd have to respond on the group chat - saying did you mean to put this on the group to everyone? you could have spoken to me about this on Tuesday - I don't see the need to try and publicly humiliate me

People like this are utter dicks. I once had a “colleague” who was senior to me send an email around our whole team, including people determining whether I would be kept on at the end of a training period, saying that she would “speak to me” about the typos in a document I’d prepared.

The typo (singular) was the word matrices - which she thought wasn’t a word.

Galling though it was I didn’t bother to tell the rest of the group that there were in fact no typos, she just looked petty for pointing them out and I would have looked petty for protesting. I think your situation is the same so wouldn’t reply to the message as you’re on leave today.

I'd reply "oops soz, thanks <name of colleague> for sorting, much appreciated" she looks like a petty idiot.

You need to raise this with a manager.

Its appalling behaviour. Its not being a drama queen. Its raising an issue about unprofessional behaviour in the workplace.

Don’t write any of these stupid suggestions. You’ll sound utterly utterly unprofessional and childish. Do not respond on your day off as you’re making it look like a big deal. She knows you’ll see it so isn’t trying to hide anything. Just speak to her in person next week and say you’d appreciate it if she doesn’t do this if there’s a next time

Treat it with the importance it deserves i.e. none. She sounds nasty and is certainly not your friend.

Most people reading the message will probably think what an unpleasant vindictive bitch she has shown herself to be.

I really wouldn't worry OP, there can't be an employee in the world who hasn't made a mistake or overlooked a task, it really is no big deal. It's your attitude that matters and the fact this is bothering you shows that you are a diligent, conscientious worker.

I'm surprised some people are saying this is normal practice in their work places. It's completely unprofessional.

Surely management don't want to be trawling through this sort of petty bullshit day in day out. "Dave, you forgot to update the PowerPoint"; "Alex, I've updated the spreadsheet for you. AGAIN". How insufferable.

Someone fucked up and sent me something they shouldn't have the other day. If I'd gone ahead with it both me and they would've looked like twats. I queried it. It was resolved. Is it annoying that I had to query something that should never have reached me in the first place? A bit. Do I need to set up a distribution list to raise the alarm? No.

I generally try to shield my colleagues from getting into trouble over minor errors. I'd like to think they'd do the same for me rather than delight in shaming me.

If I was endlessly picking up their slack then yes I'd raise it. But not via a large Teams chat :-/

The danger in ignoring it is that she carries on her campaign of dragging you down in various ways and your name becomes associated with incompetence. This is why I'd reply. To protect myself.

I’d reply with one word - noted! Nothing else. You’ve noted both your error and also her use of Teams to address it publicly, then keep a copy for your records in case of future similar instances from her.

Honestly, they are being a dick and people will see it that way.

Don't reply, keep the moral highground. Everyone reading that is imagining themselves in your place (since no one is perfect). She's made a spectacle of herself!

What a bitch. Pls save screenshots of this, just in case it’s needed in future. Hope you’re ok - enjoy your lovely long weekend!

Absolutely don't respond! Everyone is cringing at what a jerk she is. Likely when you return to work it'll be gone anyway.

No matter what, don't take the bait.

She sounds like a bellend. I fix errors my colleagues make all the time. 99% of the time I don't say anything to anyone if i can just see its a genuine error. Occasionally il phone or email person direct and just say not sure if you were aware but we do it this way or you have to do this when actioning that job etc.
If I'm sick of seeing the same errors over and over il just email round without naming and shaming "can people check they're putting correct dates on the jobs / don't forget to check to spreadsheet" etc
Op do not reply to her. Leave that to management. She will probably get a bollocking off them for that. Just literally ignore and don't bother with her in future.

I think you're being sensitive. Teams chats do call out errors.

Sometimes I even call out errors to help people.

For example one time my colleague was preparing an important presentation to clients. She sent it to all of us in the team.

I replied on teams to everyone in the team. I told her that she had forgotten to put something very big into the presentation.

It wasn't that she had forgotten to include something. She thought she had included it, but she did something on her computer which wiped out half her presentation. The entire second half of the presentation was blank .

I pointed out this error to help her. And it did help her.

Sometimes if people forget to do stuff, it needs to be talked about.

You forgot to do something. Your college did it, and she helped you.

I had similar once when I was new to a job. I posted a question on a teams groups and someone posted a really sarcastic childish response. I so wanted to respond in kind, and of course now I'm really glad I didn't. She just made herself look like an ass.

Don't respond on the public channel, in any way as others are suggesting.

Let her message hang in the ether.

When you're back, email her directly (put your line manager and hers in cc) and request that any similar issues in future are brought directly to your attention, along with your managers. Be to the point, but not rude.

Shes an arsehole trying to make a name for herself. Disregard.